The most numerous connector warranty issues for motor vehicle manufacturers are for electrical wiring connectors that were never fully mated in the vehicle assembly process. When vehicles having these improperly mated connectors are serviced, the connectors are observed to be “loose” or “not attached”. Solving this problem in a cost effective and ergonomically acceptable way has eluded automotive connector designers for decades.
Connector designs that have connector position assurance features exist, but these connectors have used stored spring energy which increases the connector mating force two to four times over a similar connector without these connector position assurance features. Other connector designs utilize inertial latches to assure connector mating. These connectors provide a lower cost solution than the spring-based connectors, but also greatly increase connector mating forces compared to similar connector without these features.
The subject matter discussed in the Background of the Invention section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the Background of the Invention section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.